Friday is our “house maintenance” or sightseeing day (or playdates day) and today we needed to buy some food and household items.

One of the privileges of being the American International School associated with the US Embassy is the US Commissary. The mini grocery store on embassy property that serves diplomatic personnel. It is about the size of a SuperValu neighborhood market and has most of the brands and stuff you would see in the US. It is about 1/8th the size of the Mega Huge Cub Foods.

Not everyone has the privilege of shopping there and there are a lot of people who wish they did. For example our Canadian friends do not have something comparative and cannot shop there – they are left to the Bangladeshi markets (or the occasional commissary item that makes it home in a US citizens grocery bag and then accidentally gets left at the Canadian friends house). The Bangladeshi markets are just fine and anyone would be able to get along wonderfully once they learn how to navigate them. But I gotta tell ya it is a nice to walk into the Commissary and see a rising crust frozen pizza in the refrigerated case (they even occasionally have gluten free pizzas).

For the most part the prices are comparable, but you can pay a premium for some items that have to be transported in a refrigerated container all the way from the states. You do also get the occasional loaf of bread that has definitely been in deep freeze way to long. However, it is comforting to have something familiar once in a while.

Cake mixes, shampoos, Mac ‘n Cheese, Tostitos, CHEESE, ice cream, frozen OJ, soups, Reeses Pieces, and dish washing liquid made the list today. If you come and visit, we won’t be able to take you in there, but we can place a special order for you to ease your transition!

Good question. I do believe that the commissary is only open to people sponsored by the embassy. Since the school we teach at is connected we get access. I don’t really know how it works – so I am just guessing.